Isaiah 53 Bible Commentary

53:1 Who ^a hath believed our report? and to whom is the ^b arm of the LORD revealed?

(a) The prophet shows that very few will receive their preaching from Christ, and from their deliverance by him, (John 12:38; Romans 10:16).
(b) Meaning, that no one can believe but whose hearts God touches with the virtue of his Holy Spirit.

53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a ^c root out of a dry ^d ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, [there is] no beauty that we should desire him.

(c) The beginning of Christ's kingdom will be small and contemptible in the sight of man, but it will grow wonderfully and flourish before God.
(d) Read (Isaiah 11:1).

53:3 He is despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with ^e grief: and we hid as it were [our] faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

(e) Which was by God's singular providence for the comfort of sinners, (Hebrews 4:15).

53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried ^f our sorrows: yet we did esteem him ^g stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

(f) That is, the punishment due to our sins, for which he has both suffered and made satisfaction, (Matthew 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24).
(g) We judge evil, thinking that he was punished for his own sins, and not for ours.

53:5 But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the ^h chastisement for our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

(h) He was chastised for our reconciliation, (1 Corinthians 15:3).

53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the ⁱ iniquity of us all.

(i) Meaning, the punishment of our iniquity, and not the fault itself.

53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he ^k opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.

(k) But willingly and patiently obeyed his father's appointment, (Matthew 26:63; Acts 8:32).

53:8 He was taken from ^l prison and from judgment: ^m and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off from the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

(l) From the cross and grave, after that he was condemned.
(m) Though he died for sin, yet after his resurrection he will live forever and this his death is to restore life to his members, (Romans 6:9).

53:9 ⁿ And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither [was any] deceit in his mouth.

(n) God the Father delivered him into the hands of the wicked, and to the powers of the world to do with him what they would.

53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put [him] to grief: when ^o thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

(o) Christ by offering up himself will give life to his Church, and so cause them to live with him forever.

53:11 He shall see of the ^p travail of his soul, [and] shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my ^q righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

(p) That is, the fruit and effect of his labour, which is the salvation of his Church.
(q) Christ will justify by faith through his word, while Moses could not justify by the law.

53:12 Therefore I will divide to him [a portion] with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because ^r he hath poured out his soul to death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bore the sin ^s of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

(r) Because he humbled himself, therefore he will be extolled to glory, (Philippians 2:7-2:12).
(s) That is, of all that believe in him.